Katsina Debunks TESS Recruitment Claims, Says 2,158 Teachers Are State Employee

The Katsina State Government has firmly dismissed reports suggesting that the 2,158 teachers recently employed across the state were recruited under the Transforming Education Systems at State Level (TESS) project, insisting that the exercise was solely carried out and funded by the state government.

The clarification was made on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Yusuf Sulaiman Jibia, following growing claims that the newly employed teachers were beneficiaries of the donor-supported education initiative.

Speaking on the matter, Jibia explained that the recruitment exercise was conducted through a transparent and government-approved process designed to strengthen the teaching workforce in public primary and secondary schools across Katsina State.

According to him, the only connection between the recruitment exercise and the TESS programme was the use of the project's office premises for the distribution of appointment letters to successful applicants. He stressed that the arrangement should not be misconstrued as evidence that the teachers were engaged by the programme.

“The teachers were recruited by the Katsina State Government, not by TESS. We merely utilized the TESS office for the distribution of appointment letters. These individuals are being processed as full civil servants of the Katsina State Government,” he stated.

Jibia further questioned the logic behind the claims, noting that TESS is a temporary intervention programme with a defined lifespan, unlike the state's civil service structure.

“TESS is a programme that will eventually come to an end. If these teachers were recruited under TESS, who would take responsibility for them when the programme ends? They are government employees and not TESS staff,” he added.

The commissioner described TESS as a time-bound educational support initiative operating in Katsina State and emphasized that the recruitment of the 2,158 teachers followed established civil service procedures and should not be linked to the project.

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He revealed that the employment exercise was carefully designed to address the shortage of teachers in schools across the state and improve learning outcomes. To ensure that staffing challenges were effectively tackled, vacancies were advertised based on the specific needs of individual schools and subject areas.

Under the arrangement, applicants were required to apply directly to schools where vacancies existed, a strategy the government believes will significantly reduce teacher absenteeism, curb incessant transfer requests, and encourage greater commitment among teachers posted to rural communities.

Jibia said the initiative forms part of the administration’s broader education reform agenda aimed at improving access to quality education and ensuring that every school has the personnel required to deliver effective teaching.

In addition to the recruitment drive, the commissioner disclosed that two Special Model Secondary Schools currently under construction in Jikamshi and Dumurku are expected to be completed and commissioned within the next three months.

He also announced that the state government has awarded contracts for the construction of 30 new senior secondary schools and 44 junior secondary schools across Katsina State. The projects, he said, are targeted at expanding educational opportunities and bringing quality learning facilities closer to children in underserved and rapidly growing communities.

The developments underscore the government's ongoing efforts to strengthen the education sector through strategic investments in infrastructure and human capital, while dispelling misconceptions surrounding one of the state's largest teacher recruitment exercises in recent years.